Italy Travel Budget for 2004

Independent travel to Europe continues to become even more popular with
American tourists, and it seems that Italia has become everyone's favorite
destination. This phenomenon is certainly not difficult to understand for
those of us who have learned to savor "la dolce vita".

During the past six years I have been fortunate to have planned more than
eighty personalized itineraries for independent travelers to southern Europe,
most of them to Italy. Understandably, one of the first questions I get from
a prospective client is about the projected costs. My quick answer is the
obvious one: that depends on you and your preferred travel style. As we delve
deeper it becomes clear that the style choices of would-be independents can
vary widely, from youth hostel backpackers to luxury five star jet-setters.
We will ignore these extremes for now and concentrate on the more mainstream
middle ranges.

Here are some assumptions for our hypothetical itinerary:

This is a 14 day (13 night) itinerary to Italy for a couple during the
shoulder season months of April, May, Sept. and Oct. These are the best
months for travel to Italy.

The couple will fly into Milan or Venice and out of Rome, or vice versa,
with tourist class tickets purchased well in advance, possibly from a consolidator.
The airfare is a big variable.

Now that we have our parameters set let's go ahead and plan our budget.
Remember, this is for planning purposes only and is really controlled by you.
You may decide to blow the budget on Murano glass, Florentine leather, or
silk in Bellagio. Leaving aside the exceptional "budget busters" you choose
to add on, I do feel the following is a realistic set of expense estimates
for this itinerary.

TRAVEL EXPENSE ITEM

2 STAR

3 STAR

4 STAR

AIRFARE (2 PEOPLE)

1600

1600

1600

RAIL TICKETS (2 PEOPLE)

500

N/A

N/A

CAR RENTAL (ALL INCL.)

N/A

650

950

GAS

N/A

150

200

TOLLS

N/A

50

50

TOTAL TRANSPORT

$2100

$2450

$2800

HOTELS & INNS (13 NIGHTS)

1040

1700

2700

FOOD AND DRINK

700

1050

1350

TOURISM COSTS

300

300

500

GELATO AND CAPPUCCINO

150

150

200

MISC. EXTRAS

150

150

200

DAILY LIVING TOTALS

$2340

$3350

$4950

TOTAL TRIP COSTS:

$4440

$5800

$7750

Let me emphasize that these cost projections are merely estimates and will
vary widely based on seasonal variations and desired destinations. The fact
is that some couples will have a great two-week adventure in Europe and spend
less than $3000, while others may let an upscale tour company make the decisions
for them and end up spending $8000 or more.

We consider ourselves to be primarily "3 star travelers" but our own two-week
itineraries have varied from $3500 (Ireland in Sept.)] to $6000 (May in Switzerland/
Austria).

Is it worth it? You bet it is! Independent travel in Europe is not for
everyone but it is my passion. After more than twenty creative sojourns, most
of them since 1985, I cannot wait to begin planning my next adventure. That
is precisely the reason that I enjoy doing it for others. It is like a crossword
puzzle for me - so satisfying when it all comes together.